Nautilus Chardonnay 2023 

Barrel fermented in French oak (20% new), this is a finely pitched Chardonnay for those who enjoy nutty, flinty complexity with freshness at its core. Some stubborn struck-match reduction opens, but eases with air into aromas of preserved lemon, cashew cream, grilled nectarine, peach skin and toasted almond. The palate is creamy and dense, wrapping citrus preserves, flint, nectarine, pear and almond meal in a gently toasty frame. There’s some phenolic chew for textural grip, and a well-timed surge of acidity that lifts and cleanses the finish. Polished, complex and characterful—this offers serious value at $36.